Howdy Eagle! As you have probably seen we've been Greenlit on Steam and we are doing some serious changes to SB including moving most of the gameplay code including camera settings to script. I'd love to talk to you in private about it sometime if you are interested. We mainly use Facebook now to communicate and our Sandbox group is:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sandboxgamemaker/

It would be a much better workflow if we used something like b3d or similar.

I agree with Vikkie. I think .b3d or .x import for animated models would be great. That way you can use low cost programs like milkshape 3d and fragmotion. Free programs like truespace, pacemaker, character fx. Except for blender, only the high end modeling packages export fbx.

I'm getting ready to build a massive, interactive, non-violent, multi-level script game called "Born A God" using the simpler parts of Platinum Arts Sandbox Engine, so I'm pretty much able to make most of the game with what's already there. I do enhance it by altering/adding my own (system-allowable license-free) models (I can't model, though I easily alter a texture with Paint.NET), but I have a problem.

I consider that these are some limitations of Platinum Arts Sandbox as it stands right now.

WISHLIST:1) PAS could use some more main character's for the PAS player (like myself) to choose from when it comes to who the player will be controlling. Plus scripting so that the character can be changed while the player is playing the game (ie: in "Born A God", my God mother [a model of a marble statue of Venus from a model site], could punish me by turning me from the blue dog [which I love] into the orc as punishment).2) PAS could use more NPCs who can just stand around but have a little bit of animation. (My game needs more characters for my dog too talk to.)3) When someone realizes PAS is being given to school children and free on Steam, someone could easily publish a book called "PAS for Dummies". (Unfortunately the series name is taken) [If I could find out how they got that multi-car train to race around the map I would be in seventh heaven, and I would DEVOUR the whole chapter on scripting!]4) Make, in the main folder, a "licensing.txt" file so that it will have easy to learn how too legally add a model/art/texture to any self-releasable game, with the PAS licensing inside and simple instructions for licensing the game yourself.5) SIMPLIFY and STANDARDIZE the navigation to inside and the information files inside the "my_stuff" folder. I find it a pain to guide through it, just to find my "models" folder, and others; and the information inside the "*-art.cfg" file if just a block of CHR$ mess that is a pain to look through, just to erase ONE mistake (AAAAAAAUUUUGH!).6) Models could have multiple animations. In edit mode, click on the model, press a keyboard key, and a little menu file opens on the screen with different animations too choose from. (ie: click the "Waterwheel" model, press "C", and choose "clockwise", "counter-clockwise", or "still".)7) Make adding a model/texture/ANYTHING ridiculously easy to that even a child can do it. (I feel like a kid at heart when I build in it, might as well satisfy the kid in me when it comes to working on adding things.)

I wish:An object-tossing mode, with a counter (Hits and taken hits, teams and stuff) that would be very funny, It could be 3rd person perspective, or both 1st and 3rd. I think it would need additional models but still would be great.

For now, forget the improved physics/textures/AI/etc. Give us a decent user interface! When you launch Sandbox, be presented with the options: Load Map New Map FPS New Map RPG New Map SIM (like a flight simulator, for example) New Map RACER (a racing game) New Map ADVENTURE (an adventure game, like The Stanley Parable) New Map PUZZLE (a puzzle game like Portal) New Map Untyped (for when someone wants to make something that doesn't fit neatly into a category like FPS or RPG) Play Game (takes you to a sub menu that Load Map currently takes you to now with all the pre-installed games, or choose to play your own map as a game) Credits Exit